Very overweight, will Doctors help with TTC?

[Lynds77]

my sister has just started TTC. She is quite over weight (about 18 stone ish) and so far into her 33 day cycle she has not had a +OPK. (She is about CD21 at the mo)

if she is not actually ovulating, and goes to the doctor will they do the 21 day bloods on her or will they just tell her to go away and come back when she has lost some weight?

she is 37 and so every month is precious. This would be her first baby.

I am just wondering what everyone elses experiences were of being overweight and getting help to conceive

I have told her all the positive things, like she might just be having a longer cycle this month, or might ovulate every 2nd month etc etc, but I just want to be prepared to help her if she goes to the docs and gets told she wont be helped until she loses the weight. (which is as usual the doctors answer to every bloody health problem).

 

[Iwant3]

she could try soy isoflavins (which is like a herbal clomid) you would need her to read up about it first etc, but from what I read it seems to help lots of women who either do not ovulate or do not regularly ovulate.

I'm not sure if doctors would refuse any help - it possibly depends on the doctor unfortunately.

 

[BabyBrain]

Tbh hunny they could well tell her to lose weight before they help her, but probably more for her own health to carry the pregnancy. It's such a hard subject to broach and as said it will depend on her doctor. It's not uncommon nowadays for women to leave having kids til their late 30s or early 40s so she still has time. 18 stone is not that excessive, although not ideal, my bff got pregnant weighing 20 stone. If she can show the doctor that she is actively trying to lose weight then they will be more inclined to help.

She's lucky to have plenty of support, good luck to you both xxxxxxxx

 

[laurat]

Hey, I think it does maybe depend on the dr but I was 16 and a half stone and I went to the dr because I was not ovulating or had a regular af. My dr was actually pretty harsh and said its is because you are obese. She did agree to do bloods but on the agreement that I would start to loose weight. Even 10% loss makes a big difference.

At the time I felt humiliated and was really upset but to be honest in the long run it did make me realise I had to do something about my weight if I wanted to get pregnant and be healthy. I started Weight Watchers and lost 8 stone in a year. I would just have her prepared that they may say this as I felt like I had been slaped. Oh and my af became regular as clockwork from loosing the 10%.

 

[Kayelle]

I know plenty of ladies get pg and have babies at all diff weights, but if someone is struggling , the weight is the first thing docs see, and likelaura said losing the weight will really help.

 

[Lynds77]

Hey, I think it does maybe depend on the dr but I was 16 and a half stone and I went to the dr because I was not ovulating or had a regular af. My dr was actually pretty harsh and said its is because you are obese. She did agree to do bloods but on the agreement that I would start to loose weight. Even 10% loss makes a big difference.

At the time I felt humiliated and was really upset but to be honest in the long run it did make me realise I had to do something about my weight if I wanted to get pregnant and be healthy. I started Weight Watchers and lost 8 stone in a year. I would just have her prepared that they may say this as I felt like I had been slaped. Oh and my af became regular as clockwork from loosing the 10%.

this is what i am worrying about. She always comes away from the doctors upset, cause even if she goes in with earache they blame it on her weight. She has been big all her life and has tried and failed to lose weight over the years.

its especially hard for her with me being pregnant, I just want to try to be there for her as much as possible and REALLY hope she is pregnant before my little ones comes along...........x

 

[hellywelly]

I lost a stone while in the process of ttc. Harsh but true. I was still overweight when I got pregnant but I think it helped. Also, it doesn't matter what weight you are, a lot of doctors won't even start tests until you have been ttc for at least 6 months. x

 

[toscacat]

I am 15 stone and my gp is very willing to do bloodshed as if I have pcos she says there is a reason I may struggle with wait. I think it mainly matters if u need help not the initial tests x

 

[Sunshine_1]

My GP's did bloods and was very supportive of my TTC, I was advised to lose weight and that, that may help but they weren't horrible about it. A lot of ladies with weight issues suffer from PCOS and could this be a problem for your sister, this could be the cause of her irregular periods. I was even sent to a fertility specialist, bit I can't help with any experience of them as I conceived first.

Saying this I was making a conscious effort to lose some weight and get a bit fitter while waiting to see the specialist, and this could have been the help I needed to finally catch. I didn't put a lot of worry and stress in to it, tried to cut down on the rubbish food a little, and took up going to the gym with my OH. I probably lost about a stone, but who knows what will actually work.

Wish your sister luck from me x

 

[Babyhnumbertwo]

You are a good sister.

I'm not sure what doc would say. But just wanted to share... I am overweight and my bmi is classed as obese.

With my pregnancy I gained 4 stones and when I stopped breastfeeding and exercising, I lost 2 stones. My period had returned and I was 28 days regular cycle, spot on every month.

Then over the past 2.5 years the bad habits returned, and the weight started creeping on, in turn, my cycles started becoming a tiny bit irregular then more irregular as I've continued to gain more weight and eating the wrong foods.

Now I don't know if this is just coincidence, but I have been doing slimming world for 3 weeks, healthy eating, lots of fresh fruits and veg, and taking some walking. Well this month my period came at 30 days!

For the past 9 months at least it's been 35, and last month when I was eating everything I could get my hands on And at my heaviest on (because I knew I was starting my diet on return from honeymoon), my period wa 38 days!! The longest it's ever been but also the heaviest I've ever been!

I also started sliming world in jan this year and again it was the only month I had a 30 day cycle! Unfortunately I never kept it up but I'm determined this time.

I decided to see if my weight was contributing to my late cycles so far time will tell, but they say it's good for your healh no matter what to lose at leat the 10 %.

I hope your sis gets on ok at docs, but maybe making a few changes might help? Again only saying this as its something I've identified that I need to do
Xx

P.s sorry for war and peace!

 

[Babyhnumbertwo]

Sorry meant my cycle was 38 days, not my period! Lol

 

[Kayelle]

Ouch 38 day period, you'd be seriously anemic lol

 

[Sunshine_1]

Ouch 38 day period, you'd be seriously anemic lol

OT but I bled for nearly a year several years ago, not heavy but constant...I wasn't anemic for a few months, by the time the year was out mind I was on Iron and B12 injections and god only know what else!

 

[Kayelle]

You poor thing! Did you know why you bled that long? Poor oh lol x

 

[Sunshine_1]

It was at the beginning of my PCOS and problems like that, my periods were everywhere I'd be going for months without one, then getting them heavy and then bang...they didn't stop. Luckily going back on the pill stopped it for a while, I was surprised when I came off the pill to try for this one that my periods hadn't started to do things like that again, luckily I stayed semi-regular. Again maybe weight loss (I lost quite a bit about 3 years back) had something to do with me no longer needing my periods chemically regulated (it's amazing how I realize all these things looking back lol)

 

[itisbabytime]

With the nhs its all about body mass index. She needs to work out what it is. If it is above 30 she will be advised that her problems may be due to weight ie pcos is managed by weight loss. This is harsh but at the end of the day when your late thirties, what's more important? A baby or junk food/second helpings etc? I'm struggling to ttc, am definately in the overweight category and when I see a cake, mcdonalds etc. I have to think what's more important - obv a baby. A calorie controlled diet is the best bet, lauarat did fantastcially well on weight watchers and I am getting on well with it too having started last month. Her gp might even help with nutritionists. At 37 a woman must try for 6months before gps will step in, unfortunately I think even if she does say its been 6months they will say no until she shifts 5% or 10% of her weight

 

[Hayley1608]

A difficult subject.

Someone who desperately wants a baby will feel every emotion under the sun until they have one. The question is, Is that not enough for her to loose the weight? I understand there are some medical reasons why people have issues with weight. But I went on weightwatchers and lost 16pounds in 6 weeks. There are so many different things you can try nowadays. My mum struggles with her weight and has been seeing the nurse at the doctors every 2 weeks for nutritional advice and a weigh in. It's really helped her to stay motivated.

I would hope that the doctors would advise her to do what is healtiest and safest not only for her but for her potential pregancy and then child. Even if its not what she wants to hear.

 

[Babyhnumbertwo]

It is hard to hear. It defo is about bmi where nhs is concerned. Like I said I'm classed as obese even though I'm a size 14 and even though I'm bigger Han I used to be( size 8), I dont look too overweight.

Sometimes we jeopardise ourselves, not sure why. But for example, have been on and off we, Scottish slimmers, low carb diets for past 2.5 years. But emotionally I've had a lot of stuff to get through, and food was where I turned. Always have with stress. But enough is enough and like others have said I notice my weight does affect certain areas of my health my lengthy cycles being a big possibility!

I went to a consultant app for a cyst only liver. Harmless etc, but his words to me we're 'this cyst isn't going to cause your liver any problems, but one day your weight will if you don't lose weight'. My Gp was a bit annoyed when I told her what he said (because the trauma of the thing being found in the firs place set me off on a roller coaster of fear ( had just lost a good friend and also when found the cyst at a routine app they scheduled an emergency MRI as thy isn't know for sure what it was)! Anyway that's all in the past and two years after the scare I am stronger and more resilient and now feel I can face working on weight loss and baby making! Lol But I guess what I am saying is I know how hard it can be to keep the weight loss focus when ts your Achilles heel.

 

[Emma.b]

I am 15 stone and my gp is very willing to do bloodshed as if I have pcos she says there is a reason I may struggle with wait. I think it mainly matters if u need help not the initial tests x

wss^^.I am also 15 stone and no mention of my weight was made. But as the the other ladies say it all depends on the doctor and unfortunately her doc sounds like an arse! Regardless of weight tho they should at least offer the blood tests as a basic, then depending on the results treatment could be offered but may be restricted until your sis loses a little?!

Your sis could even ask GP be put intouch with a diet specialist to lose the pounds along side ttc, if the GP see's that she's willing to try then they may be a bit easier on here.

In my opinion it doesnt matter what weight you are its all luck of the draw....but then i would say that lol!!

Best of luck to your sister x x x

 

[Lolly85x]

I think it all depends on the GP, alot of them would perhaps use the excuse that she is over weight as a reason, and probably would suggest that she looses some weight first. And doctors have a horrible way of saying stuff sometimes.
So perhaps if she were to make a start on her weight loss now, before she sees the doctor. Maybe joining slimming world, and starting a healthy balanced diet, keeping a food journal. And if she did go to the doctor she could say she understood this could be a factor so she has already started. Maybe then the doctor could offer her more support and arrange the blood tests as they would know she is serious.
It's an awful situ as I don't even think 18 stone is that big in the scale of people in the country.
Before I fell pregnant I was 15 stone, a size 14/16 and my weight has never been mentioned throughout my pregnancy. Each area seems to do things differently.
But if she's really serious about ttc then perhaps she will have the motivation to start losing some weight!xx